Local and Regional Governments in Europe
CEMR_structures_and_competences_2016_EN
CEMR_structures_and_competences_2016_EN
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Sweden<br />
Sweden<br />
is a unitary state<br />
composed of municipalities (kommuner), county councils<br />
(l<strong>and</strong>st<strong>in</strong>g) <strong>and</strong> regions (regioner).<br />
State structure<br />
unitary<br />
Number of<br />
Sub-national governments<br />
2012 2016<br />
LOCAL 290 290<br />
REGIONAL 20 20<br />
Capital city<br />
Stockholm<br />
Population<br />
9,644,864 (1.9% EU)<br />
Geographical size<br />
438,574 km²<br />
Currency<br />
Swedish Krona (SEK)<br />
Vote<br />
non-compulsory<br />
EU Member State s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
1995<br />
20<br />
Seats <strong>in</strong> the<br />
12<br />
Seats <strong>in</strong> the<br />
<strong>Europe</strong>an Parliament<br />
<strong>Europe</strong>an Committee<br />
of the Regions<br />
<strong>Local</strong> level 290 municipalities (kommuner)<br />
The municipal assembly<br />
(kommunfullmäktige) is composed of<br />
members elected by direct universal<br />
suffrage for a four-year term. This<br />
assembly is the municipality's<br />
decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g body but can<br />
delegate important decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
powers to the municipal executive<br />
committee <strong>and</strong> to the specialised<br />
committees. It also levies taxes <strong>and</strong><br />
adopts the municipal budget.<br />
The municipal executive committee<br />
(kommunstyrelsen) is composed of<br />
members appo<strong>in</strong>ted for a period of<br />
four years by the municipal assembly<br />
based on the share of seats obta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
by each party with<strong>in</strong> the municipal<br />
assembly. The municipal executive<br />
committee heads <strong>and</strong> coord<strong>in</strong>ates<br />
the municipal adm<strong>in</strong>istration,<br />
supervises the activities of the<br />
specialised committees, drafts the<br />
municipal budget as well as prepares<br />
<strong>and</strong> implements municipal council<br />
decisions.<br />
It is presided over by a chair<br />
(kommunstyrelsens ordför<strong>and</strong>e),<br />
the highest political representative<br />
of the municipality, which can be<br />
referred to <strong>in</strong> other countries as the<br />
“mayor”. However, <strong>in</strong> some Swedish<br />
municipalities, the “mayor” is the<br />
chair of the municipal assembly<br />
(kommunfullmäktiges ordför<strong>and</strong>e).<br />
Competences<br />
M<strong>and</strong>atory competences<br />
• Social services<br />
• Childcare <strong>and</strong> pre-school<br />
• Primary <strong>and</strong> secondary education<br />
• Care for the elderly<br />
• Support for the physically <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>tellectually disabled<br />
• Primary healthcare<br />
• Environmental protection<br />
• Urban plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
• Refuse collection <strong>and</strong> waste<br />
disposal<br />
• Rescue <strong>and</strong> emergency services<br />
• Water supply <strong>and</strong> sewerage<br />
• Road ma<strong>in</strong>tenance<br />
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